Me, Nynke and Gaston and off course the dodo. The picture reminds me of the dodo. The extinction of the dodo is one of my favorite bar conversations and is best discussed while drinking beer. The dodo, or Raphus cucullatus, first sighted around 1600 and seen here on a drawing from one of the books of the collection of the late Dutch author Boudewijn Buch, lived on the island of Mauritius and became extinct seventy years after its discovery by Dutch sailors. Allthough Dutch sailors had tasted quite a bit of dodo meat, it is generally believed that the primary causes of its extinction were the destruction of the forest and its food supply and the arrival of pigs, rats and cats, that were brought in by the Dutch. This image has now probably been passed on to other hands, as Buch died in 2002 and along with his death came an end to his fascinating collection that has been auctioned off. And so Buchs collection is gone, the dodo became extinct and for me the time has arrived to enjoy the comfort of a beer at my favorite local bar, opened since 1899; 'café Van Ouds' in Delft.
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